North American Sr. Category Manager – Seasonings

TITLE:                             North American Sr. Category Manager – Seasonings

LOCATION:                    Hybrid in Alsip, IL
on average 3 days/wk

COMP RANGE:              $125,000 – 175,000/year

Griffith Foods is hiring a North American Sr. Category Manager – Seasonings to provides strategic leadership for the Seasonings category across North America, driving sustainable and profitable growth aligned with Griffith Foods' Purpose Driven Strategy. This role develops category strategy, manages portfolio performance, leads innovation commercialization, and partners cross-functionally to maximize revenue, profitability, and customer value.

This is your opportunity to own a large & critical portfolio of business for Griffith and drive your vision & strategy for the category throughout the NA region.  You will have ownership of the category performance & profitability, portfolio design & innovation, and customer activation.  The position serves as the commercial leader for the Seasonings portfolio while influencing teams across Marketing, Sales, R&D, Culinary, Supply Chain, Finance, and Innovation.

As a North American Sr. Category Manager – Seasonings, your responsibilities will include:

• Developing and executing the long-term strategic plan for the North America Seasonings category.

• Owning the annual operating plan (AOP), revenue targets, and financial performance for the Seasonings business.

• Developing & implementing Category pricing strategy  to optimize pricing, profitability, and business performance with Sales, Finance, Marketing, R&D, and Supply Chain

• Defining category positioning and value propositions that differentiate Griffith Foods in the marketplace.

• Leading portfolio management, including SKU optimization (from 1,800 SKUs today), product harmonization, renovation, and exit strategies.

• Analyzing business trends and financial results to identify opportunities for profitable growth.

• Developing and commercializing innovation pipelines and new technologies for Seasonings.

• Identifying consumer unmet needs and translate insights into future innovation opportunities.

The North American Sr. Category Manager – Seasonings position is well-suited for you if you:

• Are passionate about designing & implementing product category strategies in a B2B environment.

• Are an expert in category management, strategic marketing, product portfolio management, pricing strategy, and commercialization

• Enjoy innovation management and product lifecycle management, including portfolio design & optimization, in a B2B environment

• Enjoy inspiring others in a cross-functional, global business environment.

• Are a systems thinker who can explore the connection between market events & business results to impact portfolio decisions & business strategy.

Qualified candidates will have:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business or a related field

• 10 years progressive experience in Category Management, Marketing, Business Management, Product Development, or Innovation with at least 5 years in B2B commercial environments

• 5 years experience within the B2B food or food ingredients industry

• Strong financial analysis and strategic product portfolio planning experience to support strategic decisions regarding portfolio optimization, pricing, innovation prioritization, and commercialization.

• Willingness to work onsite in Alsip, IL 3 days per week

• Willingness and ability to travel 25% within the region for meetings in Canada & Mexico

• Ability to participate in tastings that may include wheat, soy, dairy or meat protein.
  Candidates must currently possess unrestricted authorization to work in the United States. Work visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

What will set you apart:

• Food ingredient or food manufacturing industry experience

• Previous category leadership in seasonings, coatings, sauces & dressings, and/or alternate proteins to support complex cross-category sales.

• Previous experience in leading product commercialization and innovation

• Cross-functional leadership in matrixed organizations

• Proficiency with project management software & methodologies

• MBA

There is potential for a discretionary bonus with a target of 18%. This bonus is based on personal & company performance and is not a guaranteed bonus plan.

The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

Medical, Rx, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts, EAP, Health Advocacy, Financial Planning, Parental Leave, Care.com, Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance, Education Assistance/Tuition Reimbursement, Safety Reimbursement, Lifestyle Spending Account, Group Life & AD&D, Voluntary Life Insurance, Short Term & Long Term Disability, 401(k) Plan with Company Match, PTO, Holiday’s & Leaves, Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, Home & Auto Insurance, Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, Long Term Care + Life Insurance & Legal Assistance.

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand and walk to communicate and listen effectively.  This will require both office and occasional plant floor environments.

Environmental Concerns

The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions.  Dust and odor present in environment.

Griffith Foods embraces Work Flex, allowing employees to work from home and select options like compressed work weeks, flex time, etc. that creates an effective workplace where work patterns meet the needs of both employers & employees. Most professionals come into the office 3x a week. Periodic onsite meetings may occur at our Lombard or Alsip (IL) locations.

At Griffith Foods, you can be a member of a globally connected team that is known for true, collaborative innovation, guided by our purpose to Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish The World. We are a family-owned business, founded in 1919 and headquartered in Alsip, Illinois USA. Our product capabilities range from seasonings and marinades to coating systems and sauces that are better for people and better for the planet.

At Griffith Foods, we aim to create a regenerative future and build food systems that are sustainable and resilient for both people and the planet. A sustainable supply chain enables us to deliver high-quality products in a way that supports the growers and farming communities. Learn more about us at https://griffithfoods.com/careers/

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Griffith Foods believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity. Griffith Foods does not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants because of the following actual or perceived characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, genetic characteristic or information, AIDS or HIV status, order of protection status, marital status, military or veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all aspect of the employer-employee relationship, including recruitment, hiring, participation in benefit programs, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, layoff, recall, and termination.

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